Isotonic energy drink and procedure for obtaining it

ABSTRACT

Enriched with antioxidant nutrients, mostly liposoluble, fibre and certain micro-elements and hydrosoluble vitamins, comprises almond milk. The procedure for obtaining said drink involves a first stage of blanching the almonds; a second crushing stage; a third stage in which fruit juices or teas are added; a fourth stage in which the mixture is sterilised or pasteurised; a fifth stage in which the loss of nutrients is corrected and a final stage in which the pH and osmolality are adjusted.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention refers to an isotonic energy drink with almondmilk together with fruit juices or teas and other constituents such asmicro-elements, vitamins, etc. and the procedure for obtaining it.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Water is the basic substance of all the metabolic processes in the humanbody. It enables the transportation of metabolites (required for growthand energy-production) by means of the circulation and exchange ofnutrients and end products of the metabolism between organs and theexternal medium. The water balance is regulated by hormones and thepresence of electrolytes, especially sodium and chloride on the cellexterior, and magnesium and potassium on the cell interior.

Water alone is capable of freely crossing the cellular membranes.Osmosis is defined as the passing of water from an area with a lowconcentration of solute to an area with a higher level of concentration.The final objective of this exchange of water is to balance out bothsolute concentrations. In the human being, the transfer of body liquidstakes place to normalize extra-cellular liquids at approximately 300mOsm (isotonicity).

An Osmole is defined as the Avogadro number of particles. Thus, one moleof glucose is also one osmole. If one mole of NaCl is completelydisassociated, 2 osmoles of particles are produced: 1 osmole of Na⁺ and1 osmole of Cl⁻. One milliosmole (mOsm) is 10⁻³ osmoles. The most commonconcentration units are: osmolarity, osmoles of solute particles perliter of solution and osmolality, osmoles of solute particles perkilogram of pure solvent. Actually, most solutes are not completelydisassociated, and osmolality should be defined as:Osmolality=osmole/kg H₂O=φn Cwhere:

-   -   φ: The osmotic coefficient that determines the degree of        disassociation    -   n: The number of particles into which the molecule may        disassociate    -   C: The molal concentration of the solution One mOsm/kg is one        mmole/kg in S.I. units.

Apart from the solute concentration, blood pressure also plays asignificant role in the exchange of liquids. Together with the osmoticeffects, blood pressure determines the proportion in which water leavesthe circulation to enter the tissues, or enters the blood flow from thetissues.

The daily intake of food normally supplies quantities of sodium,chloride and potassium that are much higher than an adult's minimumneeds. However, the plasmatic levels of electrolytes may be affected incases of substantial losses, such as acute diarrhoea or intense andprolonged perspiration. In these cases, the inclusion of electrolytes isadvisable in rehydration solutions.

Fat is an important energetic substrate, but its oral intake can causeproblems, since it is one of the powerful inhibitors of gastric emptyingand its absorption process is slow. However, the medium chaintriglycerides, or MCT, do not appear to inhibit gastric emptying at thesame level as fats. The intake of MCT leads to an increase in fattyacids in plasma, which could lead to an increase in the oxidation offats and a reduction in the use of carbohydrates, with a saving inmuscular glycogen. Recent research indicates that drinks containing bothMCT and maltodextrins produce faster gastric emptying than drinks thatcontain only maltodextrins.

Supplementing a diet with minerals and vitamins in the cases of healthyindividuals who follow a well-balanced diet containing sufficientamounts of meat, fruit, vegetables, cereals and wholemeal products will,in general, not be beneficial. However, due to various factors, the dietof athletes subject to intensive training is often unbalanced. Theintake of minerals depends largely on the selection of food and thequantitative amount consumed, from what it gives rise to circumstancesin which a supplement is desirable, such as in any situation in whichathletes wish to abstain from a normal diet, or during periods when foodintake is limited due to intensive training, especially in women, inthose taking part in weight sports and in vegetarian athletes, where theconsumption of diets with low micronutrient levels has been observed. Itis also recommendable to add mineral substances to products and foodthat are prepared and designed to replace normal food duringhyper-resistance competitions, such as the triathlon, resistancecompetitions which last several days, and high mountain climbing.However, the levels should not surpass those recommended as being safefor daily intake.

Healthy people (including athletes) often have a low intake of iron,zinc, copper and chrome. These low intake levels can lead to low levelsof micro-elements, which can be exacerbated by the losses inperspiration and urine brought about by physical exercise, as well as bythe low contributions and the increase in the losses caused by the highconsumption of carbohydrates by athletes, especially during resistancecompetitions.

The effects of almonds on people's health are manifold. On the one hand,their high content in essential nutrients (minerals, vitamins, aminoacids and fatty acids) covers part of the daily requirements for thesenutrients. The high content of oleic acid, mostly a fatty acid whichenables a favourable proportion of monounsaturated and saturated fattyacids, as well as a moderate and balanced content in polyunsaturatedfatty acids and high levels of vitamin E means their consumption isbeneficial to health. All these effects give almonds a high nutritionaland biological value, together with the fact that they are a highquality source for dietetic lipids and fibre. The nutritionalcomposition of the almond has been known for some time, and is thesubject of many publications and databases. Normally, the differentbibliographical sources coincide on the composition of the almond;however, there are variations regarding the effect on their nutritionalvalue when they are roasted. Generally speaking, it is considered thatthe almond is a food with a high energy level, proteins, fats, mineralsand vitamins. Its arginine content is outstanding, an amino acid thatappears to play an important role in the processes associated with thedynamics of the cardiovascular system. Furthermore, it is a nut that isrich in calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc and copper, as wellas in vitamins, in particular vitamins E, B₂, niacin and biotin. It alsohas a high percentage of essential fatty acids and fibre.

Almonds have a significant content of vitamin E, which is noteworthy dueto its antioxidant character, thus avoiding the formation of freeradicals which provoke mutation, distort the membrane phospholipids anddamage their structure. Intense physical activity produces a situationof oxidative stress which can be compensated with an increase in theconsumption of vitamin E, as we have shown in intervention studiessupplementing the diet with a complex of vitamin E, vitamin C andbeta-carotene. Almonds have a high content of monounsaturated fattyacids, mostly oleic acid. Oleic acid is considered beneficial when itsubstitutes saturated fats, due to its depressor effect on plasmaticcholesterol. The preparation of products based on the almond iswidespread and includes almost all types of food, from sauces, sweets,soups, desserts, starters, aperitifs, etc. The oxidation of fats is oneof the main processes of the deterioration of food, causing changes inaroma, flavour, taste, nutritional value, consistency and appearance.The oxidation reaction of unsaturated fatty acids is a chain reaction,influenced by free radicals, and one that may be started in many ways.Among them, the action of lipoxygenase, an enzyme found in raw almonds,which catalyses the formation of hyperoxides from polyunsaturated fattyacids and oxygen. The activity of this enzyme is the cause of thedeterioration of fatty food such as the Majorcan sausage (Pons, Palou,Oliver, 1998, The Use of antibodies against lipoxygenase (EC 1.13.11.12)in food or ingredients, Patent 009800615/0) and its deactivation leadsto a delay in the start of the oxidation process of fats. Neither thedynamics of this enzyme during the ripening of the almond nor itsdeactivation possibilities are known.

Almond milk is a product with a very ancient origin, a drink that isvery traditional in the Balearic culture. The basic ingredients of therecipe are almonds, sugar and water, together with various aromatisingagents. The following is a recipe from a book which dates from thebeginning of the century, Valsecchi, P. “The Modern Distiller-LiquorDealer”, Barcelona 1928. The name of the product is “Almond syrup oralmond milk, perfected by Henry y Guivourt”. The composition, brokendown into the ingredients used, is of 16 parts sweet almonds, 5 partsbitter almonds, 96 parts sugar, 1 part gum arabic, 8 parts doubleorange-flower water and 52 parts pure water.

The preparation is given as follows: “Take already peeled, driedalmonds; crush them in a marble mortar with 20 parts sugar, thenseparate this paste into 6 or 8 parts so that, when they are crushedseparately, the result is a very fine powder, which is then dissolved in52 parts pure water; then it is sieved under high pressure. Add the restof the sugar and the gum to the liquid, heat the mixture bain-marie,shaking it so that it dilutes well; sieve with a cloth and add theorange-flower water to the liquid obtained, stirring well to prevent theformation of an oily film. The addition of the gum is to stop the syrupfrom separating as it settles. This syrup will be sweeter and morenourishing depending on the gum used”.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention also refers to a procedure for obtaining an isotonicenergy drink as defined in claim 1.

This invention also refers to an isotonic energetic drink as defined inclaim 11.

Inactivating the lipoxygenase by blanching the almonds, a process whichmay be used to peel them, also reduces the peroxidation of the fats. Theblanching process may also be carried out in different ways, mainly byimmersing the almonds in water at 100° C. for approximately 10 minutesso that the temperature of the water is lowered to around 60° C., whenthe almonds may be peeled, the brown skin discarded and the whitecotyledon used for preparing the drink.

Optionally, almonds with the appropriate degree of ripeness areselected, depending on the present level of lipoxygenase activity,bearing in mind that the evolution of the enzyme may vary in accord withthe ripeness, depending on the variety and growing method. In almondsgrown on irrigated land, the ripening of the fruit produces a reductionin lipoxygenase activity, in such a way that when the fruit is stillfresh and green, it contains high levels of this enzyme, whereas if itis dry and ripe, its levels are lower. In almonds grown on dry land, thevarieties adapted to growing on dry land do not modify their levels oflipoxygenase as they ripen, on the contrary, the varieties adapted togrowing on irrigated land increase the presence of lipoxigenase with theripening.

Preferably, almonds with lipoxygenase activity equal to or below 600μKat per gram of dry almond weight are selected.

Once the almonds have been blanched and peeled, they are crushed.Crushing can be carry out when they are dry and, preferably, in avacuum, until a fine powder is obtained, which is appropriate for themanufacture of ice cream, or when they are damp, introducing theproportion of almond together with a syrup of sucrose or of anothersugar in an instrument which is appropriate for crushing. It is alsopossible to first of all crush the almonds when they are dry to perfect,then, the crushing when they are damp in order to achieve a smaller sizeof particle. The means used for crushing the almonds when damp can bedrinking water or a solution of a sugar or sweetener in water, or aspecific mixture of both in accordance with the desired energetic andosmolal content. Both the dry and damp crushing must prevent increasesin temperature in order to minimise the possible caramelisationreactions and other reactions that could those lead to nutritional lossof the product. In the case of dry crushing, the almond powder obtainedis dissolved in water or in one of the aforementioned solutions orsyrups.

Optionally, the solution obtained may be macerated for a certain timewith a view to achieving good extraction of the material that is notvery soluble, although this maceration can also be avoided if thecontent of soluble material from the almond is to be minimised in orderto increase that coming from other ingredients. At the end of themaceration or immediately after the crushing, the liquid can be sievedin order to eliminate material that is insoluble or which has a particlesize that is unpleasant for the consumer.

This invention also eliminates the need for sieving as long as thecrusher achieves complete suspension of the almond.

The following stage consists of mixing the almond liquid obtained inprevious stages with the corresponding amount of fruit juices selecteddepending on how rich they are in hydrosoluble antioxidant nutrients,mainly vitamin C. The amount of fruit juice added to the almond liquiddepends on the osmolality of the mixture. As an example, adding aconcentration of 4% orange juice to the almond liquid obtained aspreviously described, with an osmolality of 321 mOsmoles, results in adrink with a final osmolality of 240 mOsmoles. The addition of fruitjuice can be made from recently squeezed or liquidised fruit, or fromtheir commercial concentrates. Preferably, the fruit to be used isoranges, lemons, strawberries, grapes including seeds and skin,azeroles, kiwis and carrots. Teas, or their concentrates, and othermedicinal plants such as large-leaved lime (Tilia cordata Mill)camomile, mint, menthol or cinnamon may also be used. In all cases, theproportions to be added will depend on the osmolality of the finalmixture.

The procedure for making the drink is completed with a sterilisation orpasteurisation process, or any other process which is effective in termsof hygiene, salubriousness and conservation of the product.

This last stage may lead to a reduction in the nutritional value of thedrink as a result of the thermal effect; this loss can be partially orcompletely corrected before final packaging by adding the correspondingnutrients in solid form or as sterile solutions.

In the same way, the osmolality and pH of the drink is adjusted byadding any hydroxide solution, preferably sodium hydroxide.

EXAMPLES

This invention is best shown with the following examples, which do notseek to be restrictive in scope, and defined exclusively by the attachedclaims. In this way, for example, the specific concentrations and thenature of the ingredients and additives described in the examples may beextended to others and to other concentrations. The varieties of almondsused and the systems used to cultivate the almonds may be extended toother varieties and systems which have been proved to be reducers oflipoxygenase content. The blanching system specified in the examples maybe applied to other peeling and blanching systems which deactivate thelipoxygenase enzyme of the almond. The machinery and instruments used inthe examples may vary and do not limit the invention. The nutritionalvalue specified in the examples may vary depending on the use of otheringredients and/or the addition of other nutrients.

Example 1

This example illustrates a typical procedure which may be followed whenpreparing an isotonic drink of almonds with lemon juice. The process formaking the drink consists of the following stages:

-   -   1.—Make a syrup with sugar, ¼ stick of cinnamon and mineral        water. The syrup is obtained by dissolving 65 g of sucrose in 1        liter of heated commercial mineral water.    -   2.—Cool the syrup to room temperature.    -   3.—Crush 100 g of peeled almonds with a “Termomix” type crusher        with a small volume of the sucrose syrup. The “Termomix” has        different crushing levels on a scale from 1 to 12. First of all,        crush the mixture for 10 seconds at level 2 and then for one        minute and a half at level 12.    -   4.—Mix the crushed almonds with the remaining amount of syrup        and crush again for 10 seconds at level 2.    -   5.—Cool to room temperature.    -   6.—Macerate cold for 24 hours (at approximately 4° C.).    -   7.—Add 15 ml of freshly squeezed lemon juice.    -   8.—Shake the mixture to even out the ingredients.    -   9.—Sieve the fluid with serge (a cloth with a wide 20 mesh).    -   10.—Pasteurise the almond milk: 20 minutes in a bath of boiling        water.

This procedure obtains a drink with an osmolality value of 275 mOsm/kg.The osmolality is determined using The Advanced™ Micro-Osmometer Model3MO. No special preparation of the sample is required; body fluids suchas blood, serum or plasma may be used directly. We use the drinkdirectly to determine the osmolality. 20 μl of the sample are piped withan automatic pipette and the tip is introduced into the freezingchamber. The content of the pipette must not be injected into theinterior of the chamber; simply hold the tip of the pipette with thesample in the interior until the test has ended. Once the analysis startbutton has been pressed, the osmometer will automatically complete thedetermination by taking the sample to freezing point. The result of theanalysis appears on screen in units of mOsm/kg.

Example 2

This example illustrates a typical procedure which may be followed toprepare an isotonic almond drink with orange juice. It also shows thefact that the mixture of ingredients produces an osmolality value lowerthan expected.

The procedure followed is the same as the one described in example 1except that in this case, instead of using lemon juice, 75 ml of freshlysqueezed orange juice is used.

Measuring the osmolality of the final drink, based on the procedure setforth in example 1, gives a value of 246 mOsm/kg. This value allows forthe addition of NaCl up to a final concentration of 20 mmoles/kg. Theosmolality value of the almond syrup obtained after maceration (point 6)according to the procedure set forth in example 1 is 301 mOsm/Kg,whereas the osmolality value of the final drink to which orange juicehas been added is 246 mOsm/kg. The process of mixing the differentingredients has produced a change in the pH of the final product whichmay have altered the expected osmolality value.

Example 3

This example illustrates the change in pH which takes place when thedifferent ingredients are mixed based on the procedure set forth inexample 1. It also shows how a change in pH can affect the osmolalityvalue of a solution.

Crushing almonds as described in point 1 of example 1 gives a pH valueof 6.6; a freshly squeezed lemon has a pH value of approximately 2.10.The final drink obtained using the procedure set forth in example 1,with a mixture of 15 ml of lemon juice, 100 g almonds, 65 g sugar and 1liter of water has a final pH value of 5.2.

Mixing a solution of approximately 0.15 N of sodium hydroxide with anosmolality value of 276 mOsm/kg with an equal volume of a solution ofapproximately 0.15 N of hydrochloric acid with a value of 287 mOsm/kgproduces a solution of sodium chloride with a pH value of 11.7 and anosmolality value of 118 mOsm/kg. However, if instead of mixing thesesolutions together, we mix each one with an equal volume of distilledwater, the osmolality values measured are as follows: for the case of a1:1 solution with water of the initial solution of 0.15 N hydrochloricacid, the osmolality of the mixture is 109 mOsm/kg; for thecorresponding case of sodium hydroxide, the value of the mixture is 111mOsm/kg. Based on with this data, if we had made a 1:1 mixture with thehydrogen chloride solution and caustic soda, the expected concentrationof ionic species would give an osmolality value equivalent to the sum ofthe previous two, in other words 220 mOsm/kg. However, given that aneutralisation reaction occurs, the real osmolality value obtained is118 mOsm/Kg.

Example 4

This example illustrates how the selection of varieties and cultivationsystems makes it possible for the drink to be enriched with vitamin E.

The concentration of vitamin E has been determined by a reverse phaseHPLC system after a process of extracting the vitamin E from the almond.

The extraction of vitamin E from the almond has been made as set forthin the following procedure. Approximately 0.5 g of almonds is weighed onprecision scales (perfectly peeled and finely chopped). They arehomogenised with 10 ml of tri-sodium phosphate buffer 50 mM pH 7.0 in aSorvall Omni-mixer homogeniser at level 3 speed for 5 minutes withoutheat. 2 ml of the homogenised substance are piped in duplicate on tubesof glass, together with an equal volume of ethanol and protected fromcontact with the light by wrapping them in aluminium foil. The tubes areupturned for 10-15 seconds and then 4 ml of n-hexane is added to one ofthe tubes and 50 μl of a solution of vitamin E which is very pure inhexane (approximate concentration of 0.6 μg/μl) and 4 ml of n-hexane isadded to the other. This strategy makes it possible to calculate thevitamin E recuperation factor of the almond. The tubes are closed andleft to be turned over for approximately 15 minutes in a mechanicalshaker. The mixtures obtained show separation in two phases (organic andaqueous) and they are centrifuged for 10 minutes at 2000 g and 4° C. Theorganic phases are recovered in other test tubes that are perfectlyprotected from the light, the vitamin E extraction is repeated with theaddition of a further 4 ml of hexane, and after they have beencentrifuged, the new supernatants are recuperated in the same testtubes.

The separation and quantification of the α-tocopherol or vitamin E iscarried out by means of a Shimadzu HPLC chromatographic system made upof the following modules: a Shimadzu LC-10AD pump, a Shimadzu SIL-10A_(XL) auto-injector and a Shimadzu SPD-M10A diode-array detector.The chromatographic conditions are as follows: Column: Nova Pack C18(reverse phase) 3.9×150 mm. Mobile phase: CH₃CN:THF:H₂O (55:37:8). Flow:1 ml/min. Elution time: 5 minutes. Detection: spectrophotometric at 290nm. Injection volume: 45 μl.

The determinations of vitamin E have been performed on almonds of theMasbovera and Glorieta varieties cultivated on dry land, using sixsamples of each variety. The vitamin E values obtained are significantlydifferent: Masbovera variety 17±1 mg/100 g of almond and Glorietavariety 24±1 mg/100 g of almond. The Masbovera variety cultivated onirrigated land has a slightly higher level of vitamin E content, with avalue of 21±1 mg/100 g of almond.

Example 5

This example shows how the selection of variety and cultivation systemmay make it possible to reduce the activity of the pro-oxidant systemspresent in the almond.

The lipoxygenase activity may be measured by continuousspectrophotometric monitoring of the appearance of the conjugateddienes, which absorb 234 nm, using linoleic acid as a substrate of thereaction. The almond samples are peeled and chopped up and put into thecontainer of the Sorvall Omni-mixer homogeniser. The amount of sample tobe homogenised is approximately 1 g of almond to which 10 ml ofextraction buffer (tri-sodium phosphate buffer 50 mM, pH 7,0) is added.Homogenisation is carried out in a water-ice bath at speed level 3 for 5minutes. The homogenised substance is centrifuged for 10 minutes at 4°C. and 1000 g. The supernatants are collected to determine LOX activity.

We put 3 ml of the buffer of the reaction (tri-sodium phosphate buffer200 mM pH 6,5) into a quartz tray, and added 20 μl of the homogenisedsubstance and the mixture was shaken. The tray was deposited in thespectrophotometer, an automatic zero was performed and 20 μl of theconcentrated linoleic acid solution was added (20 mg linoleic acid and20 mg Tween-20 in 1 ml of distilled water); it was then shakenvigorously. Measuring of the absorbance began at 234 nm in a Shimadzuspectrophotometer and, with the help of a computer program, the gradientof the reaction in the interval of maximum linearity was calculated,normally appearing before the end of the 40 second period after thestart of the reaction.

The lipoxygenase activity was determined in different varietiescultivated on irrigated and dry land. The results obtained are given inthe following table 1.

TABLE 1 Lipoxygenase activity in the almond Lipoxy- CULTI- genase VATIONFERRAGN{acute over (E)}S MASBOVERA GLORIETA ACTIVITY TYPE VARIETYVARIETY VARIETY μkat/g Irrigated 473 ± 10^(a) 450 ± 15^(a) 479 ± 13^(a)almond land Dry land 478 ± 13^(a) 529 ± 23^(ab)* 552 ± 19^(b)* μkat/gdry Irrigated 488 ± 11^(a) 467 ± 16^(a) 496 ± 14^(a) weight land Dryland 492 ± 14^(a) 544 ± 24^(ab)* 568 ± 20^(b)* μkat/almond Irrigated 525± 12^(a) 575 ± 20^(b) 624 ± 17^(c) land Dry land 540 ± 15^(a) 512 ±23^(a)* 522 ± 18^(a)* *Means significant differences between the typesof cultivation (p < 0.05, t-Student) Different letters mean significantdifferences between the varieties of almond (p < 0.05, ANOVA).

The lipoxygenase activity (expressed per gram of dry weight of almond)is influenced by irrigated land and variety, where the responseregarding irrigated land depends on the variety. The LOX activityincreased 15-16% in the Glorieta and Masbovera varieties when they werecultivated on dry land, whereas they were unaltered in the case of theFerragnes variety.

The differences between varieties are evident when they are cultivatedon dry land, and disappear when they are cultivated on irrigated land.The Ferragnes variety cultivated on dry land shows a LOX activityprofile which makes it more appropriate for preventing the oxidation ofthe fats during the preparation of the drink than the other twovarieties.

Example 6

This example illustrates how a blanching procedure enables the partialdeactivation of the lipoxygenase activity of the almonds. It alsoillustrates how sterilisation produces the total deactivation of theenzyme.

The lipoxygenase activity was determined as described in example 5.

The blanching procedure consists of submerging the almonds (25 g) inwater (100 ml) at 100° C. until the temperature of the mixture reaches60° C., when the almonds are taken out. The blanching makes it possiblefor the almonds to be peeled. The lipoxygenase activity values wereobtained from six samples of almonds blanched using this procedure. Thereference values of lipoxygenase activity of the almond were obtainedsimultaneously in 6 samples of almonds peeled with knives and kept atroom temperature at all times. The lipoxygenase activity of thereference samples was 221±7 μkat/g almond, whereas the activity of theblanched samples was 117±7 μkat/g almond, showing a significant loss of50% of the activity.

The bain-marie sterilisation of an almond drink was carried out with awater volume of around 8 liters. 6 hermetically closed cans of 0.5liters of almond drink were introduced and the water was boiled for 20minutes. After this time, it was left to cool to at a temperature ofapproximately 60° C. The lipoxygenase activity of the content of thetins of almond drink was determined before and after this sterilisationprocess, with the following results: 176 μkat/g almond beforesterilisation and not detectable after sterilisation.

Example 7

This example illustrates the nutritional value of two drinks made in away that is similar to that described in example 1 without the sievingprocess indicated in point 9. The calculation of the nutritional valuewas made based on the average composition described for the ingredientsin the food composition tables (Mataix, J & Mañas, M ‘Spanish foodcomposition tables’ 3rd edition. Institute of Food Technology andNutrition. University of Granada, 1998) and on the levels of vitamin Edetermined in the almonds used in accordance with the procedure setforth in example 4.

The quantities of the ingredients used were:

-   -   Almond drink with orange juice: 100 g of almonds, 65 g common        sugar, 50 ml freshly squeezed orange juice, 1 liter of mineral        water, ¼ stick of cinnamon.    -   Almond drink with lemon juice: 100 g almonds, 65 g common sugar,        15 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 liter mineral water, ¼        stick of cinnamon.

Besides the detailed composition of nutrients of these drinks, thefollowing table shows the percentage of the recommended intake ofnutrients covered by the consumption of 330 ml of these drinks.

In general, the consumption of liquids must be equivalent to the totaldaily change of water (approximately 4% total weight). This may bemodified by physical exercise, metabolic rhythm, insignificant losses,climatic conditions, height, etc. Therefore, in general, it isrecommended that a male weighing 70 kg should consume around 2 1/day,which should be increased when doing physical exercise by 1 ml/kcalenergy use (a marathon 3000 kcal=3 liters; mountain stage of a cyclingcompetition 6000 kcal=6 liters). The consumption of two packets of thisprepared drink may represent between 27-28% of the recommended waterintake for a person performing moderate physical activity, and in thecase of athletes with abundant perspiration the percentage would belower due to the fact that the needs are proportional to the energyused.

Table 2 shows that the consumption of two packets of this almond drink,equivalent to a volume of 660 ml, provides almost 100% of therecommended daily intake of vitamin E and also in a way that ischemically acceptable for assimilation by the organism. Furthermore, thealmond contains an important percentage of folic acid, thiamine,riboflavin, zinc, magnesium, iron and calcium. Moreover, the content infatty acids may increase the absorption of liposoluble vitamins.

TABLE 2 Nutritional composition of the drink and % of daily intakeEnergy and Nutrient Recommendations Compo- Compo- Quantities in sitionwith sition 330 g of lemon with orange almond milk juice % IDR¹ juice %IDR¹ Edible portion 330 — 330 — Energy (kcal) 231 7.92/9.9  2287.92/9.9  Energy (kJ) 964 7.92/9.9  952 7.92/9.9  Proteins (g) 5.6310.4/13.7 5.52 10.2/13.5 Fat (g) 15.0 — 14.5 — Saturated 1.07 — 1.04 —fat (g) Monounsaturated 9.24 — 8.95 — fat (g) Polyunsaturated 2.53 —2.45 — fat (g) Cholesterol 0 — 0 — (mg) Carbohydrates 19.5 — 19.9 — (g)Fibre (g) 4.02 — 3.90 — Calcium (mg) 98.7 12.3/12.3 97.3 12.1/12.1 Iron(mg) 1.83 18.3/10.1 1.79 17.9/9.93 Iodine (μg) 0.776 0.561/0.693 0.8150.594/0.726 Magnesium 76.1 21.7/23.0 74.7 21.4/22.6 (mg) Zinc (mg) 2.0513.7/13.7 2.01 13.4/13.4 Sodium (mg) 6.55 — 6.44 — Potassium (mg) 201 —211 — Phosphorus 144 — 141 — (mg) Thiamin (B1) 0.129 10.7/14.3 0.13211.0/14.7 (mg) Riboflavin 0.188 10.5/13.4 0.185 10.3/13.2 (B2) (mg)Vitamin B6 0.030 1.65/1.85 0.033 1.83/2.06 (mg) Cobalamin 0 0 0 0 (B12)(μg) Ascorbic acid 2.15 3.56/3.56 5.44 9.08/9.08 (C) (mg) Folic acid(μg) 27.3 13.7/13.7 31.1 15.5/15.5 Niacin 1.49 7.46/9.93 1.49 7.46/9.93(mg Eq niacin) Vitamin A 0.086 0.010/0.010 1.36 0.135/0.172 (μg Eqretinol) Vitamin D (μg) 0 0 0 0 Vitamin E (mg) 5.61 46.8/46.8 5.4545.4/45.4 ¹Recommended intake of energy and nutrients for the Spanishpopulation (revised 1998). The energy needs are calculated for moderateactivity. The first values refer to males and the second to femalesbetween the ages of 20 and 39 years.

1. A process for obtaining an isotonic energy drink enriched withantioxidant nutrients, hydrosoluble vitamins, almond milk, fiber andminerals selected from the group consisting of sodium, calcium, iron,magnesium, zinc, potassium, phosphorus, and iodine, comprising thefollowing steps: a) deactivating the lipoxygenase present in almonds byimmersing the almonds in water at 100° C. for approximately 10 minutesso that the temperature is lowered to around 60° C.; b) crushing thealmonds of (a); c) adding juices or teas or concentrates of tea andother medicinal plants, so that for every 1 Liter of water of (a), 15-75ml of juice, tea or concentrate of tea and other medicinal plants isadded; d) sterilizing or pasteurizing the mixture of (c); e) correctingthe total or partial loss of certain nutrients; and f) adding ahydroxide solution to adjust the osmolality and pH value, so that theosmolality value obtained is 118-301 mOsm/kg.
 2. A process in accordancewith claim 1, wherein said almonds are selected from among the varietiesthat present a lipoxygenase activity equal to or lower than 600 μKat pergram of dry almond weight.
 3. A process in accordance with claim 1,wherein said crushing is carried out when the almonds are dry and/ordamp.
 4. A process in accordance with claim 1, wherein the temperatureduring crushing is below 15° C.
 5. A process in accordance with claim 1,wherein said crushing is carried out in the absence of oxygen.
 6. Aprocess in accordance with claim 1, wherein, after crushing, the almondsare macerated.
 7. A process in accordance with claim 6, wherein, aftermaceration, the mixture is sieved.
 8. A process in accordance with claim1, wherein correcting the total or partial loss of certain nutrients iscarried out by adding a sterilised and hypotonic, hypertonic or isotonicsolution of said nutrients.
 9. A process in accordance with claim 1,wherein-adjusting pH and osmolality is carried out by adding ahydroxide.
 10. A process in accordance with claim 1, wherein the almondsare selected from among the varieties that contain an amount that isequal to or higher than 17 mg of vitamin E per each 100 grams of dryalmonds.
 11. A process as in claim 1, wherein said antioxidant nutrientsare liposoluble.